The Pursuit of Happyness

And we care about Will Smith, who regardless of the character he's playing is still Will Smith, a curious mix of hip and hopeful in this tale of raw economic survival in the American jungle of poverty: The Pursuit of Happyness.

Smith plays real-life Chris Gardner, a guy in San Francisco with dreams of doing well. But, he invests everything he has in selling medical equipment that no one buys, and his fed up wife (played uncomfortably well by Thandie Newton) leaves him.

So, Smith and his son, played with remarkable ease by Smith's real-life son, Jaden, are soon out on the streets, and out of their luck. Eventually, they're forced to sleep in the men's room of a BART station.

Gardiner eventually meets a stock broker who tells him that anyone can do the job if they're good at numbers and better with people, so Smith somehow secures an internship with a brokerage firm. And so begins his rise to success.

It is the American rags-to-riches story, played out for us by people we like, and who we want to succeed. There are no surprises, and the movie and its believable cast make us care more than we want to. We know we are being worked as we watch.

But, the truth is, we like stories like this - especially at Christmas - because we all want to believe that it's still possible in America to start with nothing, get everything, and keep your soul. And, with Will and Jaden Smith, you get a lot of soul. Some call it Smith's finest performance since Ali.

The New York Times called The Pursuit of Happyness a fairy tale in realist drag, skillfully and artfully told. The whole thing works, says the Houston Chronicle. And the Dallas Morning News says few on-screen father and son relationships have felt more authentic. But, the Arizona Republic gave it only 3 ½ out of 5 calling it saccharine, overlong and manipulative. And I suppose it is. But I forgave it for that, and I think - for Will - you will, too. I say 3 out of 4.

The Pursuit of Happyness is rated PG-13 for profanity.